There was trouble from our arrival at Cardinal Pines. First, we were told that the previous tenants had left a terrible mess and we would have to wait. We understood and waited patiently while the cleaning lady and owners finished up. We were finally told the cottage was ready one hour past our check-in time. When we entered the cottage we noticed right away that it had not been properly cleaned. The mattress pads were dirty and we found piles of cheerios, crackers, dirty kleenex, crayons, and party hats. Many of the 'features' of Cardinal Pines were absent or broken. There was no sand pile for the kids, the water trampoline was deflated, and the hot tub was not working. The owner personally came to repair the hot tub half way through our stay. However, the water was sandy - obviously it had not been properly cleaned. We contacted the owners asking for compensation and while they did give us a small refund , they denied any problem with the upkeep of the cottage.